The Start of Something Beautiful
by tivafanintheusa
Summary: Set sometime in the aftermath of the Adam/Ziva revelation. Just a short oneshot of Ziva coming to talk to Tony about the events before and after the revelation, which results in a much needed heart to heart.


Ziva took a deep breath. Realizing she was as calm as she was going to get under the circumstances, she raised her hand and knocked purposefully on the apartment door. She heard a few muffled footsteps before the door opened to reveal her partner. Tony gave her a look for a moment.

"May I help you, Ms. David?" he asked coolly.

Ziva let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "Tony…may I come in? Please?"

He looked her over for a moment before stepping back and letting Ziva into his apartment for only the third time ever. He led her to his couch where he sat, indicating for her to do the same. Trying to deter the conversation from where he knew it was going, Tony started talking before Ziva could collect her thoughts.

"You know Gibbs is gonna be ok, right?"

Ziva gave him a look. "Yes, Tony. We will do everything we can to help. But that is not why I am here." The pained look in her eyes prevented Tony from snapping back at her.

"I have been thinking…about what you said at the warehouse. About misinterpretations." Ziva flashed back to the warehouse.

"_My Hebrew must not be as good as I thought. Because I could have sworn that when I dropped you off at the airport I told you that you were not alone."_

_ "Yes, you did."_

_ "Well then. We must have had different interpretations."_

The flashback faded when Ziva noticed Tony opening his mouth to interrupt, but she quickly placed a finger over his mouth, effectively silencing him.

"Please, let me say what I need to Tony. I will answer any questions you may have if you please just let me get this out first." He nodded. They locked eyes and Ziva took another deep breath before continuing.

"I didn't get a chance to explain myself completely at the warehouse. Yes, your Hebrew was perfect. Yes, I understood what you were saying, though I suppose I did not believe it wholeheartedly. But I was – and am – scared. Everyone I let get close to me ends up dead, or I get burned. I could not let that happen to you…my best friend. And as selfish as it is, I did not want to get burned in the process. I said I did not completely understand the magnitude of what you felt for me until you talked to me about misinterpretations."

Flashing back on it now, Tony could clearly see the dawn of understanding and complete belief in her face. Her continued words pulled him back to the present.

"Whatever happened between us in Berlin…I want that. I do not know where we stand, and honestly I did not expect what happened in Israel to affect you the way it did. If you ever found out about Adam, I did not want it to be the way you did. I cannot go back and change what I did or how you found out, but I can do my best to make it right. I do not want to lose my best friend because of a moment of weakness. I am sorry, Tony, for hurting you, for everything. It was never my intention."

With that she dropped his gaze. The tears she had held back threatened to overflow, and she took a deep, calming breath to steady herself, but a few tears leaked out. Before Ziva could do anything about them, Tony's large, warm hands cupped her cheeks. He ran his thumbs over the tears, wiping them away as well as effectively forcing her to look back at him. Removing his left hand from her face, Tony took Ziva's right hand in his, intertwining their fingers. Ziva's left hand came up to grip lightly on the wrist of his right hand still cupping her cheek, and she allowed herself to lean into the touch slightly.

"Ziva…I forgive you. I do. But please answer a few questions?" She nodded her consent.

"If you truly understood what I said at the airport – even if you didn't believe it 100 percent – why did you not call me? Why did you turn to Eschel? I would've been on the next flight to Israel if you really needed me."

"I let my emotions dictate my actions that day. I had just buried the last member of my immediate family. I felt very alone and as much as I wanted you there to help me, to comfort me like I knew you would, I could not wait hours for you to arrive…I needed comfort then. Adam was a friend, someone willing to help me but understand that it meant nothing. I know I could have called. In my state, I figured that would just make my wanting for you worse. I was already dying to have you there with me. What good would it do to hear your voice but not be able to see you, to physically feel your comfort?"

Tony nodded in understanding. During her answer he had dropped his right hand from her face and now held both of her small hands in his large ones. It was amazing how perfect that small act felt, like she was the missing piece in the puzzle of his life, and all of the pieces were finally falling into place.

"Ok. I understand. Why all the secrets before then? Keeping me in the dark, going to McGee first, pushing me away when I tried to help? The post-elevator us? Why did you throw my words back at me?"

"It is like I said before. I did not want either of us to get hurt. I did not intentionally throw your words back at you, Tony. I regretted it as soon as I said them, when I saw your face fall. I wanted you as a part of my life. I _still_ want you as a part of my life. Whether that be best friends or something more, I need you in my life." Ziva smiled slightly. "I cannot live without you."

Tony smiled at hearing his words spoken to him, and squeezed her hands lightly.

"You know that I meant that, when I told you that that day, right?"

"I do now. And I meant it when I said it as well just now. I do not know where you fit into my life, but I want you in it."

Tony stood, pulling Ziva up with him. He wrapped his arms firmly around her waist, and Ziva's arms went around his neck as if they were pulled there by a magnet. Tony rested his forehead on Ziva's and his eyes were glued to Ziva's before he spoke again.

"Ziva, I want you AS my life. The dance we shared in Berlin; I don't know about you, but when I had you in my arms, you were all I could think about, all I could see. The world was just the two of us, and it was perfect. Then holding hands in the car, just before the crash…it was like all was right with the world." He moved back slightly, eyes sparkling and he flashed her his signature DiNozzo grin that set off the butterflies in Ziva's stomach, not that he knew that – or needed to.

"Speaking of that night, what were you going to tell me?"

Ziva smiled up at him. "I was going to tell you what I just did. That I want you in my life, however that may be, but that I was hoping you would be a big part of it."

"Well sweetcheeks," he said pulling her closer again, so that their faces were mere inches apart, "I'm not going anywhere if you're not.

Ziva grinned. "I am not going anywhere, Tony."

With that, Tony closed the remaining distance between them and pressed a gentle kiss to Ziva's lips, smiling slightly when he felt her return it. When they broke apart, Tony pulled her in for a close hug. He held her for a moment before whispering in her ear, "ani ohev otach, Ziva".

Ziva pulled back, surprised he knew the phrase. Tony's eyes shone with a love and excitement she had never seen – or maybe just never noticed – before.

"Hey, I figured if 'at lo levad' wasn't clear enough, I'd have to learn to actually say what I meant!" Tony answered her unasked question, a wide smile on his face. Ziva's smile grew wider.

"Ani ohev otacha, Tony." She knew her eyes reflected the love she saw in Tony's eyes right back at him. As he pulled her in for another kiss, a quote from one of Tony's many movies popped into her mind, though in a much different context than in the movie.

_This may be the start of something beautiful._


End file.
